OSHA awards competitive grants to eligible nonprofit and other qualifying organizations to provide occupational safety and health training and education programs for employers and workers on the recognition, avoidance, and prevention of workplace safety and health hazards.

Susan Harwood was the director of the Office of Risk Assessment in OSHA's Health Standards Directorate who passed away in 1996. During her 17-year tenure, she helped develop OSHA standards for protecting workers from bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos, and lead in construction.

Viable applications are assessed based on the proposed work plan to determine if it meets the needs of OSHA

Awards are for a 12-month performance period beginning at the end of September and continuing until next September.

Award amounts vary based on each applicant’s funding needs, up to the maximum amount specified in the applicable notice of funding opportunity.

Award amounts are based on the applicant’s proposed budget as stated on their SF424, Application for Federal Assistance.

Training materials and programs must serve employers and workers in one or more of these target groups:

• Small businesses (fewer than 250 employees)
• Workers in high-hazard industries or industries with high fatality rates
• Hard-to-reach workers facing barriers to safety and health training

OSHA selects topics based on fatality statistics, new OSHA regulations or guidance documents, national emphasis programs, and regional needs.

No. Each grant ends after 12 months. Organizations may apply for a new grant in the next year a funding opportunity is announced.

Grantees must provide occupational safety and health training. Grantees may develop, revise, or use existing training materials.

Yes. Quarterly reports are required on program activities and funds spent.

No. The awardee is expected to have the ability to fulfil the training requirements.

Yes, but the partner must be a nonprofit organization and may not be part of another Harwood grant during the performance year. Partners must follow the same conditions of the award as the primary awardee.

Yes. Grantees are limited to using grant funds as stated in the notice of award instructions and Federal grant management regulations.

OSHA identifies the minimum number of trainees and training contact hours in the notice of funding opportunity instructions. Successful grantees meet or exceed their proposed training goals during the 12-month performance period.

The following organizations may apply:

• Nonprofit organizations (including labor unions and employer associations)
• State or local government-supported institutions of higher education
• Other entities specifically identified by OSHA in the funding announcement

Individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible.

Past recipients include employer associations, colleges, universities, and labor unions.

A NOFO is the official announcement that OSHA is accepting grant applications. It is published in the Federal Register and posted on Grants.gov. All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov during the open application period, generally 30 – 60 days.

A NOFO is typically published in late spring or early summer. Awards are announced by September 30 of the same fiscal year.

OSHA does not maintain a list of interested applicants, but you can register at Grants.gov to receive weekly email notifications about federal grant announcements. Contact Grants.gov directly with any questions about their notification service.

No. Applying is free, as is registering and maintaining accounts with Grants.gov and the System for Award Management (SAM).

Grants.gov is the government-wide portal for finding and applying for federal grants. Register at Applicant Registration.

SAM is the federal database for organizations doing business with or receiving funds from the government. Registration is required to apply for a grant and must be renewed annually. Registration is free. Do not rely on third parties to register on your behalf. If a third party fails to complete the registration, your application may be denied even if you acted in good faith.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. Before trying to apply, verify your organization's registrations with Grants.gov and SAM are active and accurate.

OSHA sets a maximum award amount in each NOFO. Applicants request funding based on their projected program costs. OSHA may award the requested amount or adjust it to align with agency needs and Congressional appropriations.

Applications are reviewed by technical panels of OSHA staff, who evaluate program and technical merits, budget items, and organizational qualifications. The Assistant Secretary of Labor makes final award decisions.

Awardees will be notified with a Notice of Award.

All awardees will be introduced to their OSHA regional grant monitors and must attend an orientation meeting.

OSHA will make every effort to notify unsuccessful applicants within 30 days after the award selection is made.

No. Applicants who were not selected for an award are encouraged to request reviewer comments about their application. These comments may be useful when developing your next application.

The authorized representative who signed section 21 of the application SF-424, Request for Federal Assistance may request reviewer comments.

A request for reviewer comments must be submitted on the organization's official letterhead and signed by the authorized representative. Email the request for comments to HarwoodGrants@dol.gov. Include the following identifying information from your application:

• Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement number and title
• Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANT____________)
• Applicant/Organization name
• Training topic/category
• Authorized representative's name and complete mailing address
• Authorized representative’s email address
• Contact phone number or email address

Visit the current Harwood training page or contact your OSHA Regional Office. Each regional office has a program coordinator who monitors grant activities and training.

Grantee-developed materials are available for free download at Susan Harwood Grantee-Developed Training by Topic.

OSHA's awardees are listed on the Department of Labor Grants website.

Email HarwoodGrants@dol.gov.